For years, people with astigmatism had very few choices for eyewear. You either wore glasses or toric contacts. And no, there was no such thing as colored contacts for astigmatism.
Good news: times are changing! Colored toric lenses are now available. However, they’re a bit harder to find than standard colored contacts. Let’s dive in and find your best options!
A Little Bit of History
The first toric contact lenses were approved for the U.S. market in 1978. This was followed by colored contact lenses in the 1980s and by disposable toric lenses in 1992. In the early 21st century, there were still no commercially available colored toric lenses.
Clerio Vision’s TORIColors changed all that in 2022. Sadly, this was a short-lived win for people with astigmatism. Manufacturing of this product has since been discontinued. So what’s next?
Why Are Colored Contacts for Astigmatism So Hard to Find?
Why is it so hard to “add color” to the already available soft toric lens technology? Let’s look at how astigmatic eyes work.
If you have astigmatism, your cornea is shaped like an American football, rather than the typical basketball shape. This irregular curve causes light to focus on multiple points in the eye instead of just one. This then results in blurry or distorted vision at all distances.
Standard contact lenses are spherical. They have the same optical power all the way around. They can rotate freely in the eye without affecting vision. With toric lenses, the lens surface is divided into meridians, which require different optical powers. This is referred to as your “axis.”
Locking Your Lenses In Place
Because a toric lens has a specific orientation, it must stay locked in place. If you blink and the lens rotates just 10 degrees, your vision will blur instantly. To prevent this, manufacturers use “stabilization” technologies in the design of these lenses.
Adding a colored tint to this complex engineering is difficult. If a colored lens rotates, you may experience blurred vision. Plus, the colored pattern might also misalign with your pupil. This could create an unnatural look.
These considerations make colored toric lenses more complicated and expensive to mass manufacture.
What Is Actually Available?
Colored toric lenses are hard to find, but there are some available. Here are your current options.
Desio
Desio is an Italian contact lens brand by Qualimed, a recognized name in the international medical industry. They only sell colored contacts, and the company highlights contacts as eye enhancements (instead of just being corrective).
You have 20 colored toric options in hue variants of brown/hazel, gray, blue, and green. These are daily wear lenses that you can wear for up to three months with proper care.
You can order Desio contacts through their website. Make sure to have your prescription ready. The downside here is that U.S. customers may have to wait up to eight weeks for their orders to arrive.
The lenses are produced in and shipped from Europe. While Desio offers express shipping to the U.S., it won’t be as fast as when you order from vendors like EZContacts.
Solotica
Solotica is a Brazilian brand that has found global fame through influencers who wear their signature bright opaque lenses. The brand offers its Hidrocor line, which are daily wear colored lenses that can be worn for up to a year with proper care. Hidrocor contacts don’t have a limbal ring (the dark circle around the iris). This results in a softer and more natural-looking blend with your natural eye color.
You can also order Hidrocor toric lenses, which are Hidrocor lenses “customized” to your astigmatism prescription. Get these in hues of green, blue, hazel, and brown.
Like Desio, these contact lenses ship from outside the U.S., and it may take weeks to get to you.
Key Factors to Consider Before Buying
Thinking about trying colored contacts for astigmatism? Before you pull out your credit card, there are some specific factors to consider.
The Wait Time
When you’re ordering colored torics, be prepared to wait for up to six to eight weeks to get them. If you’re ordering your contacts for an event, such as a cosplay convention, make sure to plan with this in mind.
Comfort vs. Beauty
Toric lenses are thicker than spherical lenses. Colored lenses are thicker than clear lenses. Toric + colored? Expect some compromises in terms of your comfort.
You won’t enjoy as much oxygen permeability since colored lenses are typically made from hydrogel materials, not the more permeable silicone hydrogel.
This means that:
- You may not be able to wear them for 14 hours straight like your clear lenses.
- You might experience dry eyes. You may need to use re-wetting drops more frequently.
So, Are There Good Options?
Yes, Desio and Solotica are good options. Make sure to provide them with your exact prescription and prepare to wait. Likewise, brace yourself for the price, too. These lenses cost more than $100 a pair, without even including the shipping fee.
If you’re okay with that price and a long wait, these colored contacts could be a good choice for you! Otherwise, it might be best to stick with eyeglasses or clear toric lenses. You can easily order clear toric lenses through a U.S.-based online vendor like EZContacts.
TL;DR
- Colored contacts for astigmatism only became available in 2022, even though toric lenses and colored contact lenses have been commercially available for decades.
- This was through Clerio Vision’s TORIColors, which was unfortunately discontinued soon after.
- The only viable colored toric lens options come from the Italian company Desio and the Brazilian company Solotica.
- Because these are customized and ship from outside the U.S., they are more expensive and take up to eight weeks to arrive.
- If you decide to try colored contacts for astigmatism, prepare to wait, be aware of possible compromises to your eye comfort, and always provide your exact prescription.
